72 Laos Teens Rescued from Forced Prostitution in Supanburi Province

72 Lao teens after being rescued from prostitutions in four karaoke dens in Suphanburi’s Song Phi Nong district early Thursday. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)

SUPANBURI – The Royal Thai Police and Ministry of Social Development and Human Security officials from Bangkok have rescued Seventy-two Laoation girls forced into prostitution in the central province of Supanburi.

Police attached to the Anti-Human-Trafficking Division, raided four separate karaoke lounges in Supanburi province’s Songpeenong district to rescue the young Lao girls, aged between 13 and 20 years old, following a call to the Paveena Foundation’s 1134 hotline from a 15-year-old Laos teen stating that they had been lured and forced by suspected human traffickers into flesh trade over the past several months.

The Lao girls had been allegedly told by the karaoke lounge keepers that they would be hired as “waitresses” at those places.

But they had eventually been forced into night-time prostition and denied free travels anywhere outside of the neighborhood, the police said.

The lounge keepers allegedly charged their customers a range of 700 to 1,000 baht in cash in exchange for one-hour stay with each of the Lao girl at roadside inns nearby.

Most of the Lao girls had been allegedly compelled into ” entertaining” their customers more than once in one night, the police said.

Some had been provided with seedy rooms less than 100 meters away from the karaoke lounges to stay with their guests.

Several Thais, including the lounge keepers, were arrested on charges of human trafficking while the 72 victims are yet to be returned to their home country, the police said.

The Thai authorities earlier pledged to combat human trafficking including those who may have brought young females from neighboring countries such as Laos and Myanmar to serve flesh trade in the Thai capital, outlying areas and the provinces.

The Supanburi area where the forced prostitution, preying on illegal migrant females, had thrived over the last few years is barely 60 km northwest of the Thai capital.